High School Reunion
by Emily Hoyt
Summary: Chloe stared at the card in her hands, suddenly feeling very old. Had it really been fifteen years since high school had let out for the last time?


Chloe stared at the card in her hands, suddenly feeling very old. Had it really been fifteen years since high school had let out for the last time? She shook her head and counted backwards. Her daughter was eight and she'd been in her early twenties, so... she groaned.

"Oh, frustrated, love?" came the familiar British accent from behind, making her jump in surprise. "Mental or sexual? If the later, I'd be happy to help..."

"Lucifer..." She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to ten in her head, hoping it would calm her down, but lately his mere presence was enough to set her blood pressure sky high.

"Oh, my... class reunion?"

 _When did he get close enough to read over my shoulder?_ she wondered, spinning away on her office chair to tuck the invitation into her desk drawer. She knew she shouldn't have brought her personal mail to work this morning, but she'd left in such a hurry that she hadn't even taken the time to walk back to her front door from the mailboxes to place the letters on her entrance table.

"So, when do I pick you up?"

Chloe's heart stopped for a second before she could bring herself to look back up at him. She was waiting for his grin to turn lecherous, but it never did. It was so sincere that she wondered if she had heard him right or not.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your reunion?" he offered, as if to say 'duh!'. "I do need to know the date if I'm to clear my schedule. And I need to know what time so I can come pick you up."

"What? You didn't catch all that reading over my shoulder?" she teased, trying to buy herself some time to think. Did she really want to bring him so all the girls she'd hated could drool over him? Would she be able to handle it if he flirted back with them right in front of her? Or if he got caught with one of them in the ladies' room? Not only would her pride take a pounding, but so would her heart, already only holding on by a thread.

"No time," he said, snapping her out of her troubling thoughts. "My vantage point afforded me a spectacular view that I simply couldn't ignore."

Confusion knit her brows for a second before she saw his gaze flicker down to the V of her long-sleeve t-shirt and she groaned.

"You ass..."

"Yes, well... as glorious and firm as it is, detective, you still haven't answered my question."

"Lucifer, I..." she babbled, trying to find her way out of her situation. "I'm not even sure I want to go!"

"Why on Earth not? Aren't you supposed to go to these things to show off what a success you've become and lord it over all the people who used to piss you off?"

"Exactly! I'm a divorced single mother, ex-actress... Lucifer, I remember these women; they're bitches and cruel and I'm not sure I want to subject myself to their harassment."

"You, Chloe Decker," he said, leaning forward and resting his elbow on the desk to pin her with his gaze, "are an amazing detective, you have the most endurable offspring I've ever come across and you have the most exquisite body I've ever seen. And... to top it all off, you'll have me with you. Trust me, detective; you'll be the envy of every woman there."

Chloe felt her heart expanding with his praise, even the indirect compliment on her parenting skills, but she still felt leery of introducing this walking seduction to her high school fr-enemies. She bit her lip and latched on to any excuse she could come up with.

"But I... I'm sure you have better things to do on a Saturday night, and... and I'd need to find a baby-sitter for Trixie..."

"If you're going to make excuses, detective, at least try to come up with some better ones than these... or..." His whole posture changed, his eyes narrowing for a moment before some realization seemed to dawn on him. "Oh... oh, I see..." he mumbled, looking away with a small chuckle, mostly to himself. "After all, I offered, but I... never asked if you actually _wanted_ my services..."

Chloe looked at him for a moment as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He truly looked hurt and disappointed and she felt horrible. Just as she was about to apologize, he gave the arms of his chair a pat with his hands and pushed himself up.

"You know what? I, um... I have business to attend to..." he said, risking a second of a glance in her direction, cutting her off before she could say anything. "At Lux... with Maze... so... I should be going." He had no sooner spoken the words than he was already halfway out of the precinct, nearly jogging out.

"Lucifer!" she called, but he barely even slowed down as he tossed his reply over his shoulder, never looking at her.

"Until the next murder, detective!" And he was gone.

Chloe clutched the envelop to her chest as she rode the elevator up to Lucifer's apartment from Lux. She rubbed a damp palm against her jeans and hoped with all her heart that he wasn't _entertaining_...

Chloe sighed to herself and squeezed back tears, not for the first time trying to convince herself that she wasn't in love with him. But it was hopeless; she knew she was and it hurt, and yet she couldn't fathom the idea of not working with him ever again.

The doors slid open and she took one more deep breath before stepping out. She looked around, not finding him sitting at his piano as she usually did and the apartment was in total silence. No music... no giggling or breathy moans either... A few steps further and she finally saw him where he had been obscured by the baby grand before. He was sitting on the couch and the sight left her a little breathless.

His bare feet rested on the table, a half-empty bottle of expensive scotch only inches away. With one arm behind his reclined head, he looked as though he was asleep with his eyes closes and his free hand holding a half-full tumbler on his thigh, but his shirt was unbuttoned and had fallen open and the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms.

Chloe must have made a noise of some kind because he went from the epitome of peacefulness to eyes wide and alert in the span of a nanosecond. Once he saw her and took in her nervous shuffle, he did something very un-Lucifer; he stumbled to his feet, setting down his glass in the process and quickly began fastening his shirt buttons.

"Detective," he muttered, moving his untucked shirttails aside to jam his hands into his pant pockets. "What brings you here after hours?" he asked, but his smile, for the first time ever, looked forced and he couldn't hold her eyes for more than two to three seconds at a time. Chloe swallowed hard and stepped towards him.

"I came to apologize, Lucifer," she said in a rush and took a breath before slowing down to continue. "This afternoon... I handled that badly. It was very considerate and kind of you to offer to come with me to... to let me use you as arm candy, in a way," she teased and felt herself relax when his shoulders slackened and he chuckled with a half smile. "I should have started by thanking you for your offered services, then explained that I really don't feel like going," she said. His eyes narrowed at that.

"I thought we went over this before, detective; you easily put all of them to shame with everything you've done with your life. Your accomplishments far outshine their expensive cars or seemingly perfect lives. Believe me, I'm sure they'll all wind up downstairs with me after they shuffle off this mortal coil."

Chloe laughed; he certainly was thorough in his delusions of being the Devil, she'd give him that! She bit her lip and shook her head before looking up at him. He looked so hopeful that she might change her mind, give in and accept his offer that she couldn't help feeling bewildered.

"I don't get it, Lucifer!" she finally grunted, staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. "I mean... no one actually _likes_ going to a reunion! Heck, when someone _asks_ someone to accompany them, the person tries to find a way to back out. Besides, how would I introduce you to these people?"

"You may introduce me however you wish to, detective. Co-worker, partner, best shag you've ever had?" he offered, waggling his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her. "I'm offering my services in making all those nasty ladies positively jade green with envy. Introduce me however you think best to achieve such a result!"

"Yeah, but..." she bit her lower lip. "I mean... some of them might be really tempting. I mean, I know a lot of them have held up well... better than me, that's for sure‑"

"Not possible, detective." His words halted her flow of self-deprecating commentary, but only for a moment. If she dwelt on it any longer, her emotions would over-throw her calm exterior.

"Okay, fine... I'm just saying..." Chloe wrung her hands and tried to find a way to put her question without it sounding as insulting as it was, but just couldn't. "Just... if you're going to flirt back," she said, not meeting ‑ and therefore, never seeing ‑ the incredulous look in his eyes. "Could you be discreet about it? Doesn't instill much envy if you're accepting phone numbers on panties all night long..."

Chloe couldn't bring herself to say anything else for a while as she tried to force down the heat creeping up her neck. After several seconds, she realized that Lucifer wasn't saying anything either. When she lifted her gaze to him, he wasn't meeting her eyes. In fact, he looked so pitiful that she felt sorry for him. She felt a need to apologize.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you... you know, cramping your style... and I'm sorry‑"

"If you're going to apologize, detective," he said, his voice almost a sneer and she was so shocked by the venom in his tone that she took a step back. "Apologize for thinking, even for a moment, that I'd do such a thing to you... that I'd embarrass you in such a way."

Chloe felt thoroughly ashamed that she had even questioned Lucifer and she hung her head, swiping at the tears that trickled down her cheeks. She sniffled and looked back up at him to find him staring at her. She nodded.

"You're right, Lucifer. I am truly sorry for that; that was entirely uncalled for." She bit her lip. "But I... I just can't understand why you're doing this for me," she finally said, looking up at him with damp cheeks. He took a few steps closer and briefly brushed his knuckles over her cheeks before he pushed his hands back in his pockets. He shrugged. "This certainly won't be a terribly fun evening..."

"What makes you think I won't enjoy myself, detective?" he asked suddenly, staring at her with that gaze that made people reveal their deepest desires to him and, for the first time, she felt it work on her a little.

"Well... cheesy turn-of-the-century pop and techno music... The food will more than likely be awful. Not to mention cheap alcohol, the likes of which you're not used to," she said pointing to the bottle of scotch that she knew to be _very_ high end. "I mean, seriously, Lucifer... what's in it for you?"

Lucifer's gaze swung down to his shoes as he shuffled from one foot to the other for a second or two before looking back into her eyes. "Will I have the pleasure of your company for the entire evening?" he asked, watching as she swallowed hard and nodded her head in stunned silence. "That's what in it for me, darling."

"It's next Saturday... at seven," she whispered, the words leaving her mouth before she could let herself think it any more through than she already had. She smiled up at him, her eyes bright with new tears, but she held them back, too happy to cry in front of him again. "I'd be honoured to accept your services, Lucifer."

"Great! Then it's a date," he said, his face twitching with nerves the moment the word had left his lips, but she smiled and put her hand against his chest. He relaxed as he saw her smile widen.

"It's a date, Lucifer."

Chloe stood in her room, staring at the reflection in front of her and tried not to be too critical of what she saw. The iridescent burgundy cocktail dress, with his modestly short hem and strapless bustier bodice, looked good on her, but she fretted. She knew how gorgeous he looked in red and she was terrified to appear as if she was trying to match him, but it was the only cocktail dress she had found on such short notice. She just hoped they wouldn't look too matchy-matchy.

Her hair curled around her shoulders and her make-up was subtle and made her bright blue eyes pop. She was just putting her second earring in when the doorbell rang. She looked at her watch and smiled. _Right on time._ Taking her purse, she stepped out of her room just as Maze opened the apartment door to let Lucifer in. He froze in the doorway when he finally caught sight of her and stood there, his eyes roving up and down her frame. Trixie came bouncing closer.

"Wow!" she said, smiling up at her mother and Chloe looked down at the little girl. "You look beautiful, mommy," she said, wrapping her arm around her mother's leg for a moment. Chloe smiled and was about to say thank you when his low voice cut her off.

"A flagrant understatement, young Beatrice," he said, so low she could barely hear him across the room and yet, the words echoed right up her spine to her heart. He walked in and she stood still, caught in his gaze. He stopped only a foot away and sighed. "Your mother is absolutely exquisite," he breathed, never taking his eyes off of Chloe even as he answered the little girl at her side, who looked up at her mother.

"What's exquisite?" she asked and Chloe looked down at her daughter with burning red cheeks.

"It means Lucifer thinks I'm really, _really_ beautiful," she mumbled, looking back at him still blushing madly.

"Feel free to add in another ten 'reallys'," he said to Trixie.

Chloe felt her face burn even darker and bit her lip as she let her glance swing to her shoes until his own entered her line of vision and she swung her head back up. She took her time and finally noticed that he wasn't, in fact, wearing red after all. He wore a simply gorgeous black suit with a crisp white shirt. The only hint of red was the handkerchief square in his breast pocket. Her hand rose, tentative, and pressed against his chest.

"I was terrified we'd match since you like red so much... but I couldn't find anything else," she said quietly, shyly.

"I couldn't be happier," he mumbled back and her eyes lifted to meet his. "As I said... exquisite," he whispered. Holding out his hand, she wrapped her arm in his as he led her to the door.

"Oh, Maze!" she said, turning to look at the woman standing beside her child. "The numbers... and the reception hall..."

"If you read _The List_ off to me one more time, I'm gonna knock myself unconscious just so I don't have to hear it again!"

With one last kiss blown over her shoulder to her daughter, Maze closed the door and Lucifer and Chloe were off to her reunion.

Lucifer's black Corvette swung into an empty parking spot in the lot next to the large reception hall. She reached for the door handle, but he let out a string of 'waits' and scrambled around the vehicle to her side to open her door for her. With a wide grin, Lucifer extended his hand to her and helped her out and Chloe felt like a princess!

"Milady," he gushed, as if reading her mind, and she felt heat creep into her cheeks once again. She mumbled her thanks and was enjoying the moment when she saw a woman waving to her from across the parking and she groaned. "Something wrong, love?"

"She was the leader of the Bitch Brigade." Lucifer's reply was a low hum and it did strange things to her for a moment before his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her a little closer to him. She almost stumbled, but caught herself just in time to avoid falling completely against the long length of his body.

"Well, then... good thing you brought me with you, isn't it?" he teased before leading her inside. They checked in and got their little tags to pin on, making small talk with the woman and her husband at the front table. Chloe didn't recognize her immediately, but the name rang a bell and, after a few seconds, she recalled the face. This was going to be a long night...

Walking into the hall, the place was decorated with streamers and balloons in their school's colors of navy blue and silver and she grinned as she thought back to the school sweater she used to have with the crest on the back that she'd bought for her final year. At least she had one fond memory.

"Chloe? Chloe Decker?"

 _Here we go!_

"Yeah! It's me..." she said turning to face a woman around the same age as Chloe, but so obviously lifted and tucked that she looked like a caricature of her former self and Chloe barely recognized the woman. Good thing for name tags and, when she read the name on it, had to bite back a groan. "How are you, Helen?" she asked, returning the more than a little fake hug, which was really two taps of her hands on the back of Chloe's shoulders.

"It's been ages!" she gushed and, almost instantly, Chloe was ignored for the man at her side. "And who is this? A _friend_ of yours?" she asked, biting her lip as she stared at him. Chloe swallowed down the jealousy that burned within and turned to him.

"Yes, a very good friend. This is Lucifer Morningstar."

"Good evening, Miss Hotchkiss" he said, taking her hand in a single handshake, curt and brief and Chloe nearly choked. Where was the showing off? Where was the flirtatious grin? Where was... Lucifer?

"Please, it's Helen. Oh, my God, Chloe... where ever did you find him? Oh! Sammy and Daphne are going to flip when they meet him! C'mon!"

Helen signalled to Lucifer to follow her, not even looking in Chloe's direction and she felt her plan backfiring already until he wrapped his arm around her waist once more and pulled her in closer. She looked up at him and his smile to her was so sweet and adoring that Chloe chuckled. Then, she looked away and shook her head before she started falling for her own lies.

"Daphne! Sammy! C'mere!" Helen moaned, pulling her friends away from their husbands to bring them over and the instant they saw Lucifer, their complete attention was solely on him, ignoring Chloe entirely. "This is Lucifer Morningstar... Chloe's _friend_."

 _There's that tone again_ , Chloe raged to herself as Lucifer brought her forward to stand in front of him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She tilted her head up to see him, but he had glued his charming smile back in place and she knew he was winding up to _wow!_ her classmates.

"Well... I'd say we're a bit more than _friends_ ," he oozed back, mimicking the woman's saccharine sweet and yet derisive drawl. Chloe's eyes never left his face when he looked back down at her from over her shoulder. "Aren't we, darling?" With that, he dipped his head down and pressed his lips to hers for the very first time.

And it was a good thing he had his arms around her waist or she would have collapsed into a puddle on the floor. It wasn't a kiss that had people telling them to get a room and it wasn't a kiss that some would joke could be mistaken for a tonsillectomy. No... it was sweet and tender and so brief that it took every fiber of her being not to mewl when he pulled back. She stayed staring up at him for several more seconds before he nudged her gaze to the three women in front of her.

Chloe felt a wave of giddiness wash over her that had nothing to do with the bitches of her past. Although, the sight of Helen's jaw on the floor, Daphne holding her glass with a death grip and Sammy staring daggers at her did give her a little buzz of contentment. It felt good to be envied by the women who had made her high school years miserable. But no where near as good as his arms giving her a reassuring squeeze around her midsection did.

"I see," Helen finally spoke, her words measured and strained as she stared at the _couple_ before her. Then, her face twisted with a smile. "So, how did you two hook up?" she asked and bit her lower lip as she prepared to launch her torpedo. "No doubt he recognized you from your... glory days?"

 _Direct hit!_ Chloe stiffened in Lucifer's arms as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from telling the woman to flake off for ruining such a wonderful moment between her and her partner, but she didn't have a chance to utter a single word.

"Oh, goodness, no!" Lucifer said with a chuckle. "We first met on a case! You see, Chloe is a homicide detective and was investigating a high profile murder that took place just outside my club... can you imagine?" he said. "Anyway, she, of course, had to question me about it and I didn't even recognize her. It was only when she admitted to me afterwards that she'd been in a film that I placed her face."

"You placed her _face_?" Helen drawled and Chloe tensed again, but Lucifer gave her another squeeze as he leaned in towards Helen a little more, his eyes narrowing.

"Of course, I placed her _face_ ," he said pointedly. "Are you implying something about Chloe?" he seethed and she watched in delight as Helen and two other terrors swallowed and shook their heads quickly, looking nervously at the man looming over her shoulder.

"You know what? I'm beginning to think you ladies don't give damn about Chloe. In fact, I'm pretty sure you were probably even bitchier when you were all in school. And the thought of you hurting my darling Chloe in any way makes my blood boil."

And he wasn't lying. With his arms still wrapped around her body, she could feel the heat emanating from her body, his arms trembling with barely suppressed rage.

"You know what, love?" he whispered down to Chloe, although his eyes never left the faces of the cowering trio before them. "I think I need some air... before I do something we'll all regret..."

"Okay, Lucifer..." she breathed, running her hands over the one still wrapped around her waist. "Okay."

Chloe tugged gently on his arm as she walked both herself and Lucifer towards the long table with the punch bowl, casting a glance over her shoulder to the three women still quaking in place. When she stopped by the spread to fix herself a glass, she nearly dropped it as he leaned down, still behind her, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"Lucifer," she gasped, setting down her glass as her head fell to the side of its own volition. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to relax..." His lips trailed a little higher and he pressed another kiss against the base of her neck, just below her ear. "Are you relaxed, Chloe, darling?"

"Yes..."

The next hours passed much more pleasantly than the first encounter had. After two more awkward introductions, she gave in and began introducing him as her boyfriend, usually at which point he'd press a kiss somewhere against her, be it her head, her shoulders or firmly against her lips. She was feeling wonderful and looked around until her eyes lighted on the three women who sat sulking at a table.

"Shall we?"

Chloe had been talking to a friend while Lucifer had stepped out to smoke. She didn't notice his return until he wrapped his hand through her arm and practically dragged her onto the dance floor.

"Lucifer, what‑"

"Hold on to me, Chloe," he rasped against her ear, pulling her even closer and wrapping his arms around her as they began to sway to some unknown song. He was shaking in her arms.

"What's wrong, Lucifer?"

"Tighter!" he demanded quietly and she clenched her arms around him as snugly as she could. "It's taking all my self-control not to eviscerate those bastards," he seethed against her hair and she felt a shiver of apprehension ripple through her.

"Lucifer!" He looked down at her and, for a split second, she would have sworn she saw flames – literal flames blaze in his eyes and, without another word, she knew what had set him off. " _Hot Tub High School_..." she whispered and felt him shudder in her arms again.

"The things they were saying..."

"Lucifer, c'mon... That's a little hypocritical..." Lucifer's gaze snapped to hers to suddenly that she thought he might have whiplash. "You try to proposition me on an almost daily basis!" she laughed, but he wasn't laughing back; he wasn't even smiling. His jaw was set. "Why can you proposition me, but they're not allowed to... I don't think fantasizing is the right word, but..."

"Because they wish to use you like an inflatable sex doll, both vulgar and cheap. Neither of which you are, my darling," he said before his gaze softened to a smouldering, pinning stare. "Where as I, Chloe, have absolutely no intention of _using_ you for sex," he whispered, leaning down closer to her ear. "Giving you an unforgettable night of pleasure would be _my_ pleasure."

A violent shudder ran through Chloe's body as the vivid mental image flashed in her mind's eye and she desperately wished she was the type of woman who could let loose and enjoy a night of pleasure with no strings attached, but she wasn't. She looked up at Lucifer, whose gaze bore right through her, heat radiating off of him. The song had stopped and they were no longer moving, but slowly, a familiar pop song echoed through the hall. Lucifer let a corner of his mouth tilt up in a half-smile and pulled her back against him, letting his hands rest interwoven at the base of her spine.

 _Close your eyes, make a wish  
And blow out the candlelight  
For tonight is just your night  
We're gonna celebrate,  
All through the night_

Chloe relaxed, resting her head against his chest as Lucifer swayed them back and forth to the song, the words so familiar. This must have been the slow that was played at every school dance since its release, despite most of the students not understanding the lyrics. But now, at thirty-odd years of age, Chloe knew exactly what the song was about and felt her insides shake at the thought of stretching on silk sheets, a warm hand gliding along her back and sweet nothings whispered in an English accent... _No!_

 _Pour the wine, light the fire  
Girl your wish is my command  
I submit to your demands  
I will do anything,  
Girl you need only ask_

 _I'll make love to you  
Like you want me to  
And I'll hold you tight  
Baby all through the night  
I'll make love to you  
When you want me to  
And I will not let go  
Till you tell me to_

Chloe was aware of her feet moving and knew that Lucifer was transporting them over the floor, but she didn't bother to look up. She was so comfortable in his arms that she refused to lift her head from his warmth.

 _Girl relax, let's go slow  
I ain't got nowhere to go  
I'm just gonna concentrate on you  
Girl are you ready?  
It's gonna be a long night_

 _Throw your clothes on the floor  
I'm gonna take my clothes off too  
I made plans to be with you  
Girl whatever you ask me you know I can do_

 _Overload!_ Lucifer's fingers rubbed small circles against the base of his back and she felt herself growing warm. She opened her eyes to part from him, desperately in need of air, and nearly stumbled. They were spinning around the floor like something out of a television dance competition.

"Lucifer!" she gasped, but he was already slowing down to a small touch-step, rocking back and forth almost in place. "What..."

"Not exactly how I pictured you breathless in my arms, darling," he teased. Chloe knew her cheeks were flaming red, but she looked up at him anyways and saw that his grin didn't quite reach his eyes like it normally did. "Oh, well..." he sighed.

"I don't get it! _Why_ are you so determined to have sex with me?" she asked, watching his expression for some sign or tell but all she got from him was... discomfort? That didn't seem right.

"Do you have to say it like that?" he asked, his nose wrinkling for a second before he shot a grinning nod to someone behind them, trying to maintain their cover. Her eyes narrowed.

"What difference does that make?"

"It just sounds so... so..." He seemed lost for words or maybe searching for the right one.

"So what?"

"Cheap... and tawdry!" he finally lighted on and she gave him a quizzical look, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

"Are you trying to tell me all your one-night-stands are actually deep and meaningful?"

"You know what, detective?" he grumbled. Chloe swallowed hard against the pain she felt at his reversion to her job title rather than her name, but if he noticed, he didn't pass a comment. "I think it might be time I get you home."

"No." She shook her head and stood firm. This talk was long overdue and she needed some kind of closure if she was going to continue working alongside him. "No, I'm not ready to go home yet."

"Fine." Lucifer fished into his pant pocket, pulled out his car keys and pressed them into his hand. "Go ahead. I can use the fresh air anyway."

And he was gone. Chloe stared at the door he'd disappeared through for several minutes. Slowly, she moved towards a table and collapsed into a chair, staring blankly ahead as her thoughts swam through her head. _What did I do?_ she wondered to herself and sensed the burn that signalled tears, but she refused to cry. In fact, she refused to do anything until they talked.

As she made her decision to go after him, she heard a distant crash of thunder even over the loud music. Grabbing her purse, she made her way to the car and sighed when she saw the top up. She wondered briefly is he'd thought to put it up for her or because he sensed the oncoming rain storm. Either way, she was thankful, the rain already dampening her hair. She jumped in.

Lucifer had only been gone ten minutes. _He couldn't have gotten too far, right?_ She thought to herself, driving slowly, looking up and down each street at each intersection. She had no doubt he'd be easily visible; she was sure, in his current state, that he had no protection from the onslaught. He'd be the only impeccably dressed idiot without an umbrella!

Chloe drove for another twenty minutes before spotting a hunched figure half a block further. She sped up a bit and, when she pulled up alongside the shape, she sighed in relief. She reached across the car and rolled down the passenger side window, yelling above the rain.

"Lucifer!" she shouted. He glanced over at her for a second, but never slowed his pace. "Lucifer, get in!" Still nothing. "Lucifer, please, you'll catch your death of cold out there!" His shoulders seemed to bounce with a shrug, but she couldn't be sure, the rain falling so heavily that she had trouble seeing him clearly. "Please!" He ignored her and sped up.

Chloe grunted and rolled the window back up. Then, gritting her teeth, she drove ahead and parked in a spot perhaps ten feet in front of him before killing the engine and getting out. She was soaked instantly and her feet slid in her strappy shoes, but that wasn't important.

"Get back in that car!"

She had his attention now.

"No!"

"Detective," he warned, coming to stand beside her and the open driver's door, holding it. "Get back in the vehicle and go home!"

Chloe tried to answer, but couldn't find words. Holding the door open made his jacket fall open as well and the sight of the clinging white shirt took her breath away.

"...no..." she whispered, her eyes roaming all over him until her cheeks flushed.

"Bloody hell!" he groaned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Stop looking at me like that!" he growled, slamming the door closed and starting back along the sidewalk.

Chloe took a step and slid in her heels. _I don't have time for this!_ she thought to herself as she slid them off her feet and placed them on the hood of the car. Then, she took off after him.

"Lucifer!" she called out, but he ignored her. She ran ahead and cut him off, placing her hands on his chest to stop his progression. "Lucifer, please!" she begged, her voice cracking. She was crying. "Please! I'm sorry. I don't know what I said or did, but I'm sorry!"

"Don't, Chloe," his whispered, his voice sounding pained and his eyes refusing to meet hers. "None of this is your fault."

"Then, what happened?" He lowered his eyes and stared at the pavement. She tried to crouch into his line of vision, so he lifted his gaze skywards. "Can't you even look at me?"

"Not looking like that, I bloody can't!" he sneered.

It hurt, as if he'd punched her in the chest, and she took a step back. She was sure the rain had ruined her hair and makeup, but there was no need to rub it in. She stared down at her bare feet and bit her lower lip, hoping it would stop the flood of tears on her cheeks. With a quick nod and a sniffle, she took off, stopping just long enough to snag her shoes off the hood.

Unfortunately, it was also long enough for Lucifer to make up the head start Chloe had gained by sprinting. He stood barely inches behind her.

"Chloe..." She froze. "I'm sorry."

She didn't turn around; she couldn't face him with red eyes and runny mascara and looking less than the perfection he expected. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Why?" she asked, her voice hoarse, barely above a croak.

"I... For everything... For running out on you. For not having more control of my emotions. For my words just now... I have the distinct impression you misinterpreted my meaning."

"Did I?" she laughed, keeping her back to him for a second more before turning towards him, her eyes burning with hurt and anger. "I think you're meaning was pretty clear; I'm in bad shape, I'm aware of how I must look..."

"I guarantee you aren't," he growled, he gaze narrowing as it roved over her body. For the first time, Chloe let her eyes wander down over herself and noticed how the burgundy fabric was clinging to every curve and corner of her body. She gasped and wrapped her arms around her, but he grunted. "For the sake of my sanity, don't bloody do that!" he grumbled. "It... pushes everything up..."

Chloe's eyes glazed over and she let her arms drop by her sides once more. Her face swung up to Lucifer's and she finally understood what she hadn't let herself see before. His hands fisted by his sides, as if fighting an impulse to reach out... His jaw set, straining to keep his actions in check. And the uncomfortable shuffle from foot to foot, trying to find a more agreeable position due to...

"Oh..." she squeaked, her eyes wide with realization. "You mean... even back at the party?"

"Since I saw you come out of your room, all I've wanted to do was get you back in it and out of that dress, Chloe Decker. And at the reunion, I found myself falling for our lies and I knew I had to get out of there before..." He took a deep breath and looked away. "Before I made complete fools of both of us."

"Both of us?" she mumbled. "I don't understand."

"Oh, c'mon, Chloe!" he barked and she jumped, a pang of fear at his sudden flare of temper. "How stupid would I have looked if I'd blubbered out all my feelings for you and you stood there laughing at me?!" he demanded, his eyes rolling with unshed tears. "And you! How would it have look in front of your friends to laugh at me for admitting my feelings? We were pretending to be in love, but we both know you aren't not with _me_ at least!"

Thunder boomed through the sky and a flash of lightening illuminated his features for an instant and she saw the pain in his twisted features. His clenched jaw now held back sobs and the tears leaked over his lower lids. Chloe felt her own escaping her eyes as she stared at Lucifer.

"How do you know?" she whispered. Lucifer's brows knit together and he stared at her, anger flashing across his face. "How do you know I'm not in love with you?"

"Well, I'm not a complete idiot!" he barked, but she shook her head.

"You said we were pretending, but... The way you said it... Why did you say it like that?" she asked, biting her lip, a sob tearing through her. "Oh, Lucifer, are you in love with me?" she asked tearfully and held her breath, waiting... waiting... waiting...

"... _yes_..."

Heat filled her heart and Chloe let it warm her entire body, her shoulders bouncing as she cried harder. She buried her face in her hands and realization nearly knocked her over; she _was_ in love with him.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," he whispered, but when she looked up at him with a wide smile, confusion marred his flawless face.

"Shut up and kiss me!" she said, surging forward and grabbing hold of his lapels, pulling his head to hers almost violently. His mouth was warm and sweet, but immobile and she wondered briefly what was wrong. Pulling away, she stared into his shocked face that was trying to break into a smile, but he wasn't sure. She laughed. "I guess you _are_ a complete idiot."

That did the trick; the corner of his mouth twisted up into one of his traditional half-smiles and looked down at her, his eyes asking the question his mouth wasn't. She nodded her head and the half-smile became a full, wide, ear-to-ear grin.

"Chloe Decker," he whispered, "are _you_ in love with _me_?"

"Yes," she said, sighing out the end as his lips crashed to hers this time, active and teasing and perfection against her mouth. She hummed against his kiss and he let his tongue's tip pass along the seam of her sealed mouth. Answering him with an urgency that made her shake, she tightened her arms around his neck and kept kissing until air became too needed to be ignored. Trembling and panting, she rested her forehead against his. "You know, Lucifer?" she whispered, nuzzling against the side of his neck. "We never did finish out dance."

He let out a throaty laugh and his head fell back for a moment before he leaned back in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then he pulled her towards the car. His body left hers and she shivered from the rain, but she was too giddy to feel really cold. Lucifer opened the passenger door, turned the key in the ignition and rolled down the window while the radio began to play. Then, he returned to Chloe's side.

"Will this do, love?" he asked, pulling her near and resting his hands around the base of her back like he had at the reunion. This time, Chloe wound her hands around his neck and brought him closer into another brief kiss, smiling against his lips.

"It's raining... and I'm cold... and I hate this song," she said, watching his eyes widen in confusion until she placed another kiss to the tip of his nose. "And it's perfect." He chuckled and pulled her tighter. "So... still think it's time to be getting me home?" she asked. He stared down at her.

"I do... I simply no longer plan to bring you back to your home," he said. She faked a frown with a wide smile as she stepped out of him embrace, holding her hands up to indicate he should look at her. He did... and groaned.

"But, Lucifer, I'm all wet..." she said, giggling as he pulled her back into his arms, his lips attacking her neck.

"Precisely... and I fully intend to get you out of this wet dress the second we arrive."

"Oh, well... if you insist," she teased. Lucifer kissed her neck one more time before opening the door of the car and helping her in. She started to protest, but he just pushed her in.

"Darling, I've been waiting an eternity to make love to you. Do you really think I give a damn about my car seats _now_?"

He dashed around the car and hoped in and she squelched in her seat as she turned to face him, leaning her head sideways over the top of the seat to look at him as he drove. She bit her lip and reached up to run her hand through his wet hair.

"If you want us to make it back to Lux in one piece, you'd better stop doing that or I'll wind up wrapping this thing around a lamppost!" he said and she pulled her hand back. "By the way, I _am_ sorry, Chloe," he said softly. Her head lifted up. "For running out the way I did... I'm sure whatever impression we had made on the terrible trio was more or less ruined after my conspicuous exit."

"You know what?" Chloe whispered. "I don't care." Lucifer let his eyes snap to her for a moment before looking back at the road. "The evening ended the way it was supposed to; I'm with you."


End file.
